My guest today is Lori Hatcher, author of Hungry for God … Starving for Time – Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women. I know you will find what she has to say interesting. Take time to visit the Rafflecopter at the bottom and enter to win a copy!
Fabulous Fridays
Welcome Lori, tell us something about yourself and how you started writing.
When I was a teenager, I’d sit on the shore of Narragansett Bay in my hometown of Bristol, Rhode Island, and compose long, melancholy poems of unrequited love. Later I was the Editor in Chief for my high school newsletter. Then I went to dental hygiene school, got married, had children, and assumed my writing days were over. Looking back, I realize God was using those years to teach me about himself so I’d have something to write about.
What would you say to a woman who asked if Hungry for God…Starving for Time is for her?
I was always the kid who asked why? I guess I never completely grew up, because I’m still asking why? Facetime questions are questions a woman would like to ask God if she could see him face to face. They’re usually questions I’ve asked myself, like God, this is so broken, does it do any good to pray? or God, nobody notices what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? Some of the Facetime questions are lighthearted, like God, I’m having a bad hair day. What can I do to feel better about myself? Others are serious, like God, I can’t believe she said that to me. Why shouldn’t I respond the same way? The five-minute devotion that follows is the answer to the question—based on Scripture and wrapped in a real-life story busy women will relate to.
Tell us about a moment when something one of your readers said or wrote gave you pause, inspired you to think about your work a different way, or made you change some element of your book.
I love hearing that people are buying the book to give to non-Christian or nominally-Christian friends. The “busy woman” focus makes it less scary. People know that I share the Gospel in the last devotion, called “Hopeless in the Chocolate Factory,” and they see it as a non-threatening way to share their faith with someone they care about by giving them my book.
“Hopeless in the Chocolate Factory,” now that’s an intriguing title for a devotion. Tell me about it.
That devotion is based on the old I Love Lucy show where Lucy and Ethel were stuck on the assembly line packaging chocolates. The harder they worked the more behind they got until they were completely overwhelmed, ineffective, and hopeless. That pretty much describes our lives without Christ. It’s the perfect segue into the Gospel.
Do you have a favorite or signature Bible verse?
James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?
No new lessons; I haven’t mastered the old ones yet! I continue to learn to seek first the kingdom of God, to trust him for everything, and to sit at his feet every day.
What’s your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?
Because I work from home, sometimes it’s hard to clock out.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
Dates with my husband are always on the top of my list J. I love taking long walks with my rescue dog, Winston. (I get some of my best ideas while walking.) I enjoy having lunch with friends—something that can easily get squeezed out if I’m not careful. And reading. There’s never enough time for all the books I want to read (or to write).
Can you tell us something that your readers might find surprising about you?
I’m more comfortable speaking in front of a thousand people than making small talk before a conference.
What do you see as the most important accomplishment of your life so far? Raising and homeschooling my two daughters all the way to college.
What would you most like to accomplish that you have not done yet?
Teach at Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference – this will be my first year serving on the faculty!
Book Blurb:
Today’s women want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.
You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:
- Is my situation hopeless?
- If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray?
- Why have you allowed this to happen to me?
- No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit?
Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.
Please give us the first page of your book.
The Day the Car Caught Fire
Facetime: God, life is scary. How can I know you’ve got my back?
I didn’t notice the smoke seeping from under the hood of my car until it drifted across my windshield.
Driving the interstate on my way to church one Wednesday night, I had one eye on the road and the other on the rearview mirror. My then three-year-old was entertaining her infant sister in the car seat beside her, and I was listening to their chatter.
Before long, however, enough smoke was coming from my engine to attract my notice.
FIRE! I thought silently, conscious of the tiny girls behind me. Images of explosive car blazes I’d seen on TV flooded my mind. Fear like birth pangs clutched hard at my gut. I’ve got to get them out! Help me, Lord!
Swerving hard to the right, I brought the car to a stop on the grassy shoulder. Cars whizzed past as I flung open first my door and then the door behind me.
“Unbuckle your seat belt,” I barked to my toddler as my fingers fumbled with the clasp anchoring her sister’s car seat. Swallowing the panic that rose like bile in my throat, I punched hard at the latch, and the buckle gave way.
Relief and fear caused me to jerk the car seat too hard, startling the baby as it slammed roughly against the doorframe. Her cry further frightened her wide-eyed sister, still struggling to unbuckle her belt.
Racing around the back of the car, I deposited my screaming infant on the grassy shoulder and turned back. My toddler’s shrill wails pierced the night as she climbed unsteadily from her seat.
“Here Sweetie,” I called, running toward her, but before …
About the author:
Lori Hatcher is an author, blogger, and women’s ministry speaker. She shares an empty nest in Columbia, South Carolina, with her ministry and marriage partner, David, and best dog ever, Winston. She’s the editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine, works part time as a Registered Dental Hygienist, and homeschooled her daughters “from birth to college.” She’s authored two devotional books, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women and Joy in the Journey – Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God. . . Starving for Time .
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Website: www.LoriHatcher.com
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/ph9KBQcDTy4
Facebook Author Page: Hungry for God, Starving for Time
Pinterest: Hungry for God
Google+: Lori Hatcher
Goodreads: Lori Hatcher
Twitter: @lorihatcher1
Book Link:
Lori and Norma, I just now saw this! What a fun and interesting interview. Lori, I loved getting to know you better. You inspire me girlfriend. I’m so thankful our paths have crossed. Bless you, Nan